To The Beat Of A Dragon's Heart
by Takashidaimao
Summary: After a brush with death, Michelangelo hunts down the assassin whose arrow nearly took his life, though his quarry turns out to be quite different from what he'd expected. M for adult humor, themes and language. Mostly Next Mutation based. Reviews are loved.
1. Chapter 1

"Th-this is t-ten different l-levels of b-bogus, d-dude…" Michelangelo managed to stutter out through chattering teeth, his breath forming another puff of cool fog with each word spoken. He kept his arms wrapped tightly around his torso, trying to prevent what little body heat he had left from escaping into the frigid January air. It was times like these he really wished he wore clothes… At the very least, he could take comfort in the fact that he wasn't the only one stuck out here on the rooftops of Manhattan in the middle of the night. All three of his brothers were lined up next to him, shoulder to shoulder, looking a bit more blue than green each passing minute. Even Venus stood up there with them, though no amount of her mind over matter meditation techniques could trick her body into feeling any warmer than an icicle at the moment.

"I do not care how 'bogus' you think this is, Michelangelo. This is necessary." Splinter shot back almost immediately, his voice stern and full of authority. The old rat paced back and forth in front of the five teenaged turtles, eyes scanning over each and every one of them as he lectured, a single spindly finger adding emphasis to his words. "You have been caught unawares by your enemies far too often of late. You lack _focus!_ A ninja must be aware of his surroundings at all times, no matter what distractions he may encounter. If you cannot even push past environmental distractions such as the cold air of winter, then I fear it may be time to re-train all of you!"

"E-easy fer you ta say, w-wearin' that fur coat…" Raphael grumbled under his breath, though his comment earned a sharp glare from his master. "Whether you realize it now or not, this is for your own good! We mutants are constantly surrounded by danger! If you do not properly utilize the skills I have taught you, I fear one day one of you will not come home alive! I…"

Splinter paused abruptly, brows knit in concentration. His ears swiveled around like little satellite dishes, analyzing the smallest of sounds. He turned around to walk along the edge of the roof, eyes scanning the vast cityscape for signs of the danger he sensed. "Something is not right…" he announced after a long moment, his grip tightening visibly on his walking stick. The five teens all glanced between one another, slightly confused at their master's sudden change in tone. Donatello was the first of them to finally speak up. "L-let me guess… This is some sort of test, right? Y'know… You give us a lecture on focus and knowing your surroundings, then have some bogus threat out there for us to find?"

"No, Master Splinter is correct." All attention shifted slightly to the petite female standing at the end of the line. Venus had her eyes closed tightly in concentration, trying to block out all visual distraction from her mind's eye. "There is an odd disturbance in the chi flow around this area. I have never sensed anything quite like it before…"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. It always happens when I eat Mexican food." Mikey chimed in with a light chuckle, giving her a lopsided grin that didn't exactly scream apologetic. Venus heaved a small sigh, rolling her eyes a bit. "That is not what I meant and you know it…"

"I think it is best that we cut this lesson short for the time being. Quickly, let us return home." Splinter stated, quickly making his way towards the door leading to the building's interior. "Hey, ya don't gotta tell me twice." Raph commented as he followed suit, the other four hot on his heels, all eager to get out of the cold. Leonardo ended up second to last in the line, huddling up close to Donny's back to keep as warm as possible as he waited for the others to hurry inside. He was quick to dart inside when his turn came, giving one last good shiver as most of the wind gave way. Ah, nice and warm. Of course, it would be much warmer if Mikey would close the damn door.

Curious to see what was taking his brother so long, Leo glanced back up towards the top of the staircase. He spotted Michelangelo still out on the roof just outside the open door, just… standing there. Leo arched a brow, confused at the younger turtle's lack of movement.

"Hey, c'mon! You trying to become a turtle-cicle or something?" he called up to him, hoping to snap him out of whatever daze he was in. Oh, he moved after that alright. Unfortunately, not in the way Leonardo had hoped. Michelangelo swayed dangerously to one side, catching himself on the frame of the door before slumping down to his knees. Leo immediately darted back up the stairs, concern for his brother completely overriding his instinct to stay warm. "Mikey!"

By the time Leonardo reached him, he'd already lost consciousness. The older of the two just barely managed to catch his younger brother as he fell forward against his chest. The others had also grown concerned by this point and were rushing up the stairs towards the two. Leo was about to try and shake Mikey awake when he looked up and saw it. Sticking out of the back of Michelangelo's shell was the tail end of an arrow. Someone had shot his brother. "N-no…"

* * *

The mood was more somber than it had ever been down in the turtle's sewer base. They'd managed to get Michelangelo down there as quickly as they could, and Donatello had done everything in his power to mend his brother's wound. None of them really knew how bad it was until Donny finally extracted the arrow and found out how deep it actually was. It terrified him to think of how close the bladed tip had gotten to Mikey's heart. He'd been mere _centimeters_ from death.

For now, Michelangelo lay on his stomach on the couch, a patch of gauze taped over the hole in the middle of his shell, his breath slow and shallow. Most everyone else was gathered around, waiting for him to wake up. Splinter sat next to the couch with one of Mikey's hands in his own, his ears turned down in a look of remorse. Leonardo had taken to pacing nervously though the living room area, muttering something about never making fun of his brother's bad jokes again if he lived through all this. Donatello kept himself busy cleaning up the medical supplies he'd gone through while trying to sew Mikey back together, trying not to think of what would have happened had he screwed up somehow. Venus sat cross-legged on the floor, that accursed arrow resting in her open palms as she examined it with her mind's eye. The only one not present was Raphael, though everyone knew exactly where he was. He was scouring the rooftops, trying to hunt down whoever could have done something like this to his little brother.

"Gaah, it shoulda been me!" Leo growled suddenly. "This wouldn't have happened if he wasn't last in line! If I'd have just let him get in front of me…"

"Then it would still have been you lying here instead Michelangelo. It would have been no different." Splinter retorted, though he couldn't hide the small pang of guilt he felt. He should have ushered them all inside the instant he'd sensed danger… Leo let out another frustrated growl, shaking his head. "It _would_ have been different! It wouldn't have been _Mikey!_"

Splinter let out a sigh, but didn't try to argue with him any more than that. He knew how the other three boys felt about their youngest brother. They gave him a hard time a lot, but when it came to Michelangelo getting hurt they were all fiercely protective of him.

"So, uhhh… How's the voodoo, hocus-pocus thing going, Venus?" Donatello asked, if only to break the awkward silence. Venus didn't move from her spot on the floor, eyes still tightly closed. "This arrow has a strong chi attached to it, but I do not know what sort of magic this is. Whatever sort of spell has been cast on it should have been activated when the arrow hit Michelangelo, or even when you attempted to remove it from his back. I do not know why it has not done anything yet…"

"Unless it'll tell ya exactly where ta find the bastard that shot it, I don't give a shit why it ain't gone off yet…" Venus looked up just as Raphael made his way down the stairs towards the rest of them. Leonardo stopped his pacing once Raph passed by him, though he seemed to deflate a bit when he saw his brother's face. "I take it you didn't have any luck…"

"Nah, ain't found hide nor hair of 'im. Fucker didn't leave a trace." Raph grumbled, throwing one of his sais to the ground in anger. The sound of the weapon clattering to the ground was followed shortly by a light groan. "W… Wuz Raph throwin' a fit 'bout now..?"

"Mikey!"

All four of them immediately clamored over to where Michelangelo lay, pushing against each other to see how their brother was doing. It was all Splinter could do to keep them at bay. "Michelangelo, how do you feel?" "How do ya think, babe? He got shot in th' back! Prolly feels like shit." "C'mon, Raph! Quit crowding him, would ya?" "Uhh, Mikey? Do me a favor… _Please_ don't try to sit up!"

Michelangelo gave another pained groan, muffled slightly as he buried his face against the couch cushion. "Owww… Y-yeah, n-no kiddin', Donny… F-feels like I went ten rounds with Vlad the Impailer… The hell happened?"

"Long story short; some Robin Hood wannabe decided yer shell needed some extra ventilation." Raph stated rather bluntly. Leo shook his head, kneeling down next to Mikey and holding out the arrow for him to see. "Someone tried to ice you, bro. They almost succeeded, too. We don't know who did it or why…"

"Honestly, does anyone really need a reason anymore?" Donatello interjected as he checked Mikey's wound, cringing and replacing his bandages carefully. Michelangelo flinched slightly before taking the arrow from Leo. He ran his fingers over the shaft, cringing a bit when he got to the dried blood that covered about the third of the arrow. That didn't seem to concern him quite as much as what else he saw covering the arrow.

"Hey, what's with all the glowy squiggles?" he asked, holding the arrow up for the others to see. The others glanced between each other. "What're ya talkin' 'bout? What squiggles? Yer seein' things, dude…"

"Hate to say it, but Raph's right, Mikey. I don't see anything on that arrow but your own blood." Leo added, not that he really liked having to agree with Raphael. The younger turtle shook his head. "Are you guys serious? The thing's lit up like a Christmas tree! How can you not see it?"

By this point Venus had stepped forward and taken the arrow from Michelangelo. She held it up to the light, squinting her eyes to try to see the mysterious markings. "I… I can sort of see something… The chi tied to this arrow is following along certain paths… Marking out symbols… But I do not recognize any of them. This spell is not of Chinese origin, of that much I am certain."

"See guys? I'm not crazy!" Mikey cheered, though in his jubilance he'd managed to move just enough to send a sharp jolt of pain through his back. Donatello shook his head in disbelief. "Now, wait a minute… Are you trying to tell me that there's some mystic mumbo-jumbo written all over that arrow in "chi" or whatever it is, and of all the people in this room, _Mikey's_ the only one that can see it?"

"Correctomundo! Oww…"

"That's what I thought… I'm gonna go grab some chow. You guys come get me when you decide to start making _sense_." And with that, Donatello stole away to the kitchen area, abandoning the now seemingly nonsensical conversation. Venus let out a sigh, mildly frustrated at the inventor's stubborn disbelief in anything of a spiritual nature. "Very well. Then I will go study these symbols." She replied before wandering back towards her usual meditation spot in a mild huff. Splinter followed after her, hoping to see the symbols for himself and help track down their origin.

"Y'know what, Donny? Grub's soundin' mighty good ta me right now." Raphael commented aloud before following after Donatello. Leo was about to get up and do the same when Michelangelo grabbed him by the arm. "H-hey, what about me? I can't move, remember?"

"O-oh, right… Uhh… I'll bring ya something. Just sit tight and try not to hurt yourself any more than you already are." Leonardo replied, tossing the TV remote on the edge of the couch before escaping to the kitchen. Mikey gave a small sigh and flipped on the Discovery Channel. He got the feeling he was going to be stuck like this for a while…

* * *

The next several weeks were relatively quiet, all things considered. Venus and Master Splinter eventually managed to track down the mysterious symbols covering the arrow that hit Michelangelo. They turned out to be Germanic Runes, though their meaning still remained a mystery. Raph and Leo were off on their continued quest to find their brother's assailant, while Donny was busy trying to figure out how they managed to piss off what he could only imagine was some crazy Viking with a bow and a grudge. Mikey was doing well, much to everyone's relief. His wound was healing up much faster than Donatello had anticipated. Of course, that didn't stop the younger turtle from freaking out once he saw just how much of his shell his brother had to remove in order to take out the arrow and stitch him back together. Donny spent more than an hour assuring him that he'd fill the hole in once he was fully healed.

After Venus had learned all she could from the arrow, she'd returned it to Michelangelo. He'd wanted to keep the arrowhead as sort of a lucky charm, much to his brothers' distaste. Leo had argued that it had nearly killed him, so it couldn't possibly be lucky. Mikey instantly retorted that since in _hadn't_ taken his life, it _must_ be lucky. The older of the two eventually gave in and let his brother keep the thing, and Mikey had been wearing it as a pendant ever since.

It wasn't long before curiosity got the better of him, however. He never really discussed it with the others, but as he was healing up he couldn't help but wonder who could have attacked him. Silver and his gang weren't exactly avid archers, nor did they practice any sort of magic. Venus had already stated it wasn't the kind of magic the Rank was known for using at all. And magic or no, Bonesteel would never have been able to make a shot like that.

Unable to stand just sitting around anymore, Michelangelo finally caved to his curiosity. He waited until Venus and his brothers were off on their usual Wednesday night romp around the local skate park, an activity he was apparently not well enough to partake in just yet, and used the opportunity to slip out of the sewer. He nearly blew his cover early on to Splinter, as he'd forgotten just how many muscles in ones back were used when climbing a ladder. He managed to bite his tongue for the time being and escaped up to the surface without making a sound.

Mikey's first destination was the building rooftop where he was initially shot. Hey, it seemed as good a place as any to start. Splinter had forbidden any of them from returning to that spot until the assassin was caught, but right now Michelangelo felt it was worth the risk. Making his way up the many flights of stairs took a bit longer than it would have normally, again because his wound wasn't fully healed yet. Eventually, he did make it out to the top.

Being a bit more cautious than usual, Michelangelo peeked around the corner of the roof-access door, looking to make sure he wasn't in any immediate danger by being there. He readied his tonfa in each hand before proceeding out further, checking every corner and crevice as they came into view. By now it was mid-February, and the air seemed even colder than it had been that fateful night. He felt his muscles lock up instinctively whenever a particularly chill breeze blew by, yet another source of discomfort for his wound.

He became increasingly nervous the further out he went. The rooftop was illuminated by the pale light of the moon. Master Splinter had always warned them not to go out during a full moon, as the light made them easier to spot at night. That fact was really starting to sink in right now. He felt like a sitting duck out there, a prime target for anyone savvy enough with a bow to pick him off once and for all.

"Ye look really silly, sneakin' 'round like that."

The voice whispered just next to his ear nearly made him jump right out of his shell. Michelangelo scrambled forward, heeding his first instinct to put some distance between himself and whoever it was that had managed to sneak up on him. He whipped around, raising his tonfa in a defensive stance… and froze.

"No way…"


	2. Chapter 2

Michelangelo could only stare for the longest time, his mouth hanging slightly agape. He really wasn't sure what to think. This couldn't possibly be the one who shot him, could it?

Two big golden eyes stared back at the ninja from under a dark brown hood, mirroring some of his own confusion. Light leather armor clung to a fit female torso, bare arms and legs exposing smooth green scales to the frigid winter air. A long, crocodilian tail flicked lightly back and forth behind her, looking deceptively delicate at the moment. A smooth, snake-like face tilted slightly to one side, letting long scaly tendrils fall out of her hood and drape down her shoulders like reptilian dreadlocks. As her lips parted to speak, Michelangelo couldn't help but notice a row of raptor-like teeth.

"Do ye always greet a stranger this way?" she asked after a moment, snapping Mikey out of his daze and causing him to instinctively raise his tonfa up defensively. Woah, _that_ was certainly not an accent he was used to. No way was she from around here.

"Hey, look, lizard-babe. I dunno who you are, but if you're lookin' for the guy who stole yer lucky charms, ya got the wrong turtle." Michelangelo joked habitually, giving a nervous chuckle at his own dig. She didn't seem to find it very funny, however. The neutral smile she'd had on a moment ago disappeared in an instant, her slitted eyes narrowing at him in an annoyed glare.

"Scottish…" she growled. When all she got was a blank stare in response, she let out a heavy sigh before launching into what sounded like a rant she'd gone into many a time before. "The damned leprechaun is supposed to be an _Irish_ character! I'm _Scottish!_ There's a huge difference! Y'know, we've got the kilts and the bagpipes, they've got leprechauns and… and… some guy named Patrick! Their last names start with the 'O's, and we're the 'Mac's!"

"I'm more of a PC guy myself." Mikey chimed in, unable to resist that particular joke when he saw it coming a mile away. While he chuckled to himself, she began rubbing at her temples with the tips of her fingers as if trying to ease away a headache. "I knew I should've gone with the blue one… _Why_ didn' I just shoot the blue one instead..?"

"Wait… So… You _were_ the one that shot that arrow!" Michelangelo shot back. This time it was _his_ smile and good mood that disappeared in an instant. The she-lizard sighed, rolling those big golden eyes of hers. "Well, I had to get yer attention _somehow_, didn' I?"

"'Get my attention?!' Look, lady, I don't know how they do things over in Scotland or wherever, but over here in America _this_ ain't exactly considered a gentle tap on the shoulder!" he retorted, turning around to show her the baseball-sized hole in his shell. She cringed a bit at the sight of it, rubbing the back of her neck as she quickly looked away. "Ah, aye… Sorry 'bout that. Honestly, I didn' mean to get ya that deep. I figured yer shell to be a bit thicker than it really was, I suppose."

Michelangelo heaved a sigh, hanging his head a bit. She spoke as though she was apologizing for stepping on his foot or something. He turned back around to face her, replacing his tonfa back into their holsters on his belt. He was pretty sure there wasn't going to be a fight at this point. "Okay, so… You got my attention. Why'd you want it so bad in the first place?"

"The short answer is; I'm here to make a proposal." She replied. She raised a brow when Michelangelo started to laugh at that. What? Did she say something weird? "Hey, babe. I'm not saying I ain't interested in ya, but don't ya at least want to get to know each other first? Maybe go on a date or two?"

She gave a frustrated groan as the turtle continued to laugh at his own sense of humor, running a hand down her face. She really needed to learn to watch her tongue around this one. "Not like that, ye daft idiot… I've come here to help ya. I've been watchin' ya fightin' the Dragon Lord and his Rank and from what I've seen, you and yer lot seem to be doing a damn sight better than I could ever do on my own. They're a threat that needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible, which is why I want to teach ya my clan's magic. Maybe it'll give ya the edge ya need to end this little stalemate ya always find yerself in with those damn Firebloods."

"Uhhh… Not that I don't _want_ another foxy lady with a funny accent trying to cram more magic into my empty head, but… What's stopping you from just kicking the Rank's scaly tails alongside us? Wouldn't that be easier?" Mikey suggested. He really didn't get it. Why did everyone have to come up with these complicated plans? Wasn't the direct route just as effective? The lizard gave another sigh. "I wish it was that simple, but it's not."

Ah, no. Of course it wasn't that simple. It never could be, could it?

"Look, it's not like I don't want to, but I absolutely cannot let the Dragon Lord find out I'm here. Hell, he can't even know I _exist!_ If he finds me… I don't even want to _think_ about it…" she continued, giving a slight shiver of disgust. Or maybe the cold was just finally getting to her. Mikey couldn't quite tell. "But y'see… If _you_ start using the same kind of magic that I use, he'll just assume whatever I throw at 'im came from your lot. I get to stay off the overgrown windbag's radar, you get more ammo to throw at 'im, and we both benefit by having me thin his Rank one by one from the shadows. Now how does that saying go again… 'It's a win-win situation.'"

Michelangelo stared at her with a blank look on his face for the longest time. Of course, whether he was actually thinking was highly debatable. After a moment, he gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Works for me! All I gotta do is run it by the others real quick…"

Mikey then took out his communicator and was about to call his brothers when it was suddenly snatched right out of his hand. "H-hey! The hell are ya doing?! Give that back!" he whined, trying to snatch the device back from her. Alas, she'd darted away too quickly, and retreated to the roof covering the door to the building's interior. She shook her head, her scaly tendrils whipping back and forth as she did. "Hell no! I can't let ya call 'em here! They'll slaughter me!"

Michelangelo stared up at her with what he was sure a dumbfounded expression. Okay, now he was _really_ confused. "Wait, what? Dude, my bros are, like, totally chill! Why would they want to hurt a babe like you?"

"Well, for starters, there's the fact that I damn near _killed_ yer scaly arse. Can't imagine they'd have gotten over _that_ so soon." She retorted immediately, to which Mikey had to bow his head in defeat. Yeah, that _was_ still a thing, wasn't it? His brothers definitely hadn't cooled down about that, especially Raph. "Besides…" she continued, though with a little less gusto than before. She ducked her head slightly, curling her long tail around herself. "Careful observation suggests they wouldn't take too kindly to their brother conversing openly with a _dragon_…"

There was another moment of silence, accompanied by a fresh round of staring in disbelief. Woah, wait a minute… She was a _dragon?_ And… She was _fighting_ the dragons? But… She _was_ a dragon… Mikey's head was starting to hurt… "Uhhh… Hold up… So, like… Is this some sort of joke? Is Ashton Kutcher gonna pop up here in a sec to say I've been Punk'd?"

"Ughh… No! Ye don't understand! I'm not-" Her explanation was cut short suddenly when the loud roar of a motorcycle thundered down the street below. Michelangelo inwardly cringed. Oh no… It was _Raphael_. He was going to kick his shell for leaving like that without telling anyone! And God help him if he got caught talking to the 'enemy'… He'd have one hell of a time trying to explain _that_ away. He looked back to the dragon just in time to see her leap down from her perch on the roof. She dashed over to him and took one of his hands, which caused Mikey's face to heat up a bit at the sudden close contact. He then felt her push something into his palm as she leaned over to whisper by his ear. "Look, ya don't have to do anything if ye don't trust me. Hell, tell your brothers about it if ya really must… All I ask is that ya think about my offer."

After that, Mikey felt her move away to dash past him. He turned, opening his mouth to say something, but by the time he had she was already gone. He gave a small, disappointed sigh. Damn, he didn't even get her _name_, let alone her number… _Unless_… He turned over his hand to see what she'd given him, deflating a bit when he saw it was just his own communicator and… A rock? That was weird. It looked to be a smooth stone taken from a riverbed, but had an acorn set in the center and the same sort of runes he'd seen on the arrow carved around the edge. What was he supposed to do with this?

"Yo, Mikey!" The sudden greeting snapped Michelangelo from his thoughts. That wasn't his brother's voice… He turned around, brows raised in surprise. The man had long black hair, wore a hockey mask over his face, and carried an arsenal of sports-based weapons on his back. To a normal person, this looked like someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. To a turtle, this looked like a friend. "_Casey?_ What're you doing here?"

"I could ask _you_ tha same thing. Your brother asked me ta help track yer crippled ass down. Speakin' of which… What's this I hear 'bout you gettin' _shot?_" Casey asked as he approached the turtle, raising his mask to reveal a slightly concerned face. Michelangelo raised a brow ridge. "Dude, that was, like… Three weeks ago… Wait, didn't you go to Vegas for New Years? You didn't _just_ get back from that, did you?"

"Yeah, 'bout that… My trip was, err… _Extended_, courtesy of the Nevada State Police… But it was _totally_ a _huge_ misunderstanding, I _swear_. I'll tell ya 'bout it after I get you home, which is something we gotta do pronto, kid. The last thing I need is yer brother leavin' me more hysterical, sobbin' messages on my answerin' machine 'bout how 'is li'l bro's gonna die an' there ain't nuthin' he can do 'bout it." The last part was spoken in a mock-crying tone, complete with the exaggerated wiping away of non-existent tears. Mikey couldn't help but chuckle a little. May as well get the laughs in while he still could. The others still didn't feel this was a joking matter, and they probably never would. At least Casey knew how to loosen up about it. There was just one thing… "Wait… I thought Raph was the only one who knew your number…"

"Who do ya think left me those messages?"

Michelangelo blinked in mild surprise. Wow, he knew Raphael was pissed about the whole situation, but he didn't think he'd gotten upset enough to actually _cry_ over it, and to Casey of all people… It was kind of cute. He'd almost feel bad for picking on him about it. _Almost_.

* * *

When Michelangelo finally got home he got the chewing out he'd expected, though it was kind of hard to hear exactly what was being said with Raphael and Leonardo both trying to yell over one another. Not that he really needed to hear to know what they were saying. It all boiled down to the same thing it always did; he was a dumbass, he needed to think about things before he jumped right in, blah blah blah… Honestly, he was really starting to get tired of this old routine, and it showed in his body language. He sat slumped on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest, foot tapping impatiently as he waited for his brothers to quit putting his shell through the ringer, face set in that typical teenager 'I know I'm in trouble but I'm not listening to you' scowl. Donatello and Venus were staying as far away from the soon to be brawl as possible. They knew all too well it was nearly impossible to stop Raph and Leo once they really got into it with each other, let alone those rare occasions they were on the same side of an argument.

"What in th' fuck were ya thinkin' goin' back up there?! You got a death wish or sumthin'?!" "That assassin could have still been lurking there, Mikey! He could have been waiting up there for one of us to go back!" "I swear, part of yer brains musta leaked outta that hole in yer shell!" "At the very least, you shouldn't have gone alone!"

"Alright, that's _it!_"

Raph and Leo were a bit taken aback when Michelangelo suddenly stood up and started shouting. "Look, I may not be the smartest, or the strongest, and I definitely ain't the bravest, but that doesn't mean I can't take care of myself! I'm just as much a ninja as any of you guys! I knew what I was doing when I went up there! You guys have no reason to be treating me like… like such a damn _kid!_"

"But Mikey… We're just worried for you…" Leonardo replied, taking a step forward and reaching out to place a hand on his brother's shoulder. Michelangelo slapped it away before storming past him towards the entrance to their lair. "Yeah, well… Maybe you should stop worrying about me all the time!"

"Dammit, Mikey! Where the hell d'ya think yer goin' now?!" Raph growled, starting after his brother before…

"Stop! Raphael, let him go."

Raphael froze instantly when he heard his Master's command, eyes narrowing as he watched his brother climb the ladder to the subway tunnels above, wincing slightly each time he grabbed for the next rung. Once the younger turtle disappeared from view he turned around to stare accusingly at the old rat standing behind him. Before he could say something he was sure to regret, however, Leonardo stepped in. "I don't understand, Sensei… Is it really wise to let him wander around like that on his own?"

"I understand your concern, my sons… But your brother has been through a lot. When one comes so close to death as he has, it can often stir something within. Raise questions. Questions he must find the answer to on his own. You, Leonardo, should know that better than anyone."

Leonardo bowed his head in acknowledgement. Yes, he knew that all too well. When the Foot Clan nearly took his own life, he'd struggled to cope with it. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore. It finally took Raphael to snap him out of it and relight the fire of his spirit. Of course, perhaps that's not what Mikey needed just yet. He'd always been a little different and, quite frankly, an attention hog. Maybe wanting to be alone for once was his way of coping? Leo looked up as he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder, catching eyes with a softly smiling Splinter.

"Do not worry. I am sure he will not stray far…"

* * *

True to Master Splinter's word, Michelangelo didn't wander terribly far from the lair. He'd taken to pacing one of the nearby tunnels, grumbling angrily to himself. "Stupid frickin' Raph… And Leo, too… Always trying to boss me around… So what if I'm the youngest? I'll be eighteen too in a few weeks!"

Mikey paused his musings momentarily to pull out the small river stone he'd gotten from the female dragon earlier that night. Maybe she _should_ have just picked Leo… At least _he_ could get the others on board with her plan without instigating an all-out brawl among them. Hell, if Michelangelo had told the others about her, no matter how positively he spun the story, they'd probably still try to hunt her down, just like she said. After all, he couldn't _possibly_ be a good judge of someone's character. Nah, they'd probably say she manipulated him and was luring him into some kind of trap, but he knew that wasn't the case. He didn't know how, or why, but he just _knew_ she wasn't trying to deceive him. He knew he could trust her…

Of course, another thing he knew is how to tell when he was being followed. He tucked the stone away in his belt before grabbing his tonfa and crouching down into a defensive stance. He glanced around, his light blue eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. After a moment, a small smirk formed on his lips. "Huh. I _thought_ it smelled pretty '_Rank'_ down here. I know this is a sewer and all, but that's no excuse to skimp on the deodorant, dudes!"

The turtle's cheeky comment was met with a fierce roar as a figure in black lunged out at him from the shadows. Michelangelo leapt backwards, sharp black claws barely grazing across the surface of his chestplate. Mikey swung his tonfa just in time to catch his assailant in the face, sending him sprawling backwards into a pile of trash. Mikey gave a victorious pump of his fist. "Yeah! How does _that_ taste, Lizard Lips!? Plenty more wh-"

Michelangelo's taunts were cut short when he received a crushing blow to the back, bringing him down hard. He'd collapsed onto his stomach before he really knew what happened, the she-dragon's stone flying from his belt and clattering onto the floor just in front of him. He hadn't noticed, intense pain shooting through his torso as he let out a loud keen. He could already feel something warm and wet dripping down the back of his shell. That hole had been a nice big target for the dragon warriors, and they'd already managed to reopen his wound with one clean blow. He looked up as one of them approached, his blurring vision just barely able to make out two crimson eyes staring down at him from under a red hood. It was the unit's lieutenant. The dragon shook his head. "Injured turtles should not wander alone."

"Y-you… sound j-just… like my brothers…" Mikey managed to gasp out, his lungs refusing to draw in a proper breath after the shock of the blow he'd taken. The lieutenant laughed, and he could hear the sound of several pairs of feet shuffling around him. There had to be a dozen of them, at least. They all kept their distance around him. The lieutenant, however, drew his sword and approached the fallen turtle.

"You will make a fine meal for the Dragon Lord…" he growled, raising his blade above his head before taking one final step, his foot knocking into the river stone on the floor. Michelangelo stared at it for a moment, his vision darkening on him already. So, this is how it ends, huh? Lying quite literally in the gutter, destined to be some ancient dragon king's dinner. Some ninja he turned out to be… He didn't know how that dragon babe figured he could help her. He couldn't even get along by himself…

"Wh-what is this?! S-sorcery! Gaaahk-"

Mikey's eyes popped open when he heard the sudden commotion around him. He looked up, eyes widening at the sight of his would-be killer. The lieutenant was tangled in huge, thick vines that wrapped all around his body. He was struggling to break free, claws tearing at the one currently wrapped tight around his neck. And they didn't stop there. They were still growing, getting thicker, squeezing the dragon warrior until his bones snapped and the last breath was pulled from his body. Still they grew, branching out across the width of the tunnel, roots crawling along the floor and penetrating the very cement of the structure. Looking down, Michelangelo just barely caught sight of the source of all this madness before it was swallowed up. It was the stone. All of the branches had sprung forth from the acorn in the middle, the runes around the edges glowing with the same light he'd seen on the arrow.

Finally, after it all ended, Michelangelo found himself lying at the base of a huge stooping oak tree, a single dragonic hand sticking out of its trunk being the only hint of what had stood there just a moment ago. The other dragons had already run off, terrified that they would share the same fate as their lieutenant if they stayed. Mikey could only stare up in wonder at the sight, at how the branches snaked along the tunnel walls looking for more space to grow, at how the bright green leaves almost seemed to form a protective canopy over him. At first, he had no idea what to think. Did all of this really come from that little stone? Was this what the dragon chick had planned for when she gave it to him? Was this what she wanted to teach him? After a moment, Michelangelo found his inner Keanu Reeves and managed to sum up his thoughts in one eloquently-spoken word.

"_Woaah…_"


End file.
